Q566.  O-tanto (a tanto greater than 1 shaku cutting edge).

Nagasa:  13 1/8″  33.3 cm.

Sori:  1 mm.

Moto haba:  3 cm.

Moto kasane:  .6 cm.

Nakago nagasa:  4 9/16″  11.7 cm.

Overall in koshirae:  19 5/8″  49.3 cm.

Hira zukuri, ubu, 2 overlapping holes. The hada is itame with mokume in bright chikei; there are areas of coarse grain. The hamon is basically suguba on both sides but quite different between the 2. The omote is suguba that begins with an area of gunome. The ura is gunome from bottom to top with a stretch of nijuba at the bottom. All of this in a bright nioi guchi covered in ko-nie. There are sunagashi, ashi, kinsuji, hotsure, and more. Both sides end in o-maru with a short kaeri. The boshi on the ura, especially, is quite complex (lots of activity). There is a koshi hi carved on the ura and gomabashi hi on the omote. Other than for a few scuffs the blade is in polish; it is mounted with a gilt copper habaki.

The saya is black lacquer with horn at the pocket for the kogatana, the kurikata, and koi guchi. There are minor dents in the lacquer but none is missing. The tsuba is plain iron. Fuchi kashira are iron with gold flowers and a butterfly. The menuki are shakudo with gold. The kotsuka is shakudo nanako with gold and shakudo bell crickets and a gold mantis. The tsuka-ito is intact.

Looking for a mounted tanto, complete with kotsuka & kogatana, that won’t break the bank? This might do just fine. 1 pound, 6 ounces.  $1,250.